Chapter 2 - The Dark Truth
Damien carried Maren through the shattered academy doors and straight into the back of his heavily armored SUV.
His convoy tore through the quiet suburban streets of Boston at terrifying, highly illegal speeds.
Inside the modified vehicle, a private trauma surgeon was already working desperately to stabilize Maren's sudden bleeding.
Maren forced her heavy eyes open and weakly squeezed Damien's hand.
"Vincent told me you were dead," she whispered, her voice cracking with exhaustion and lingering fear.
Damien's jaw tightened so hard it looked like the bones in his face might actually shatter.
"Vincent Hale is the man who orchestrated the hit on my convoy in Chicago," he replied quietly.
Maren felt her heart drop into her stomach as the horrifying reality finally set in.
The man she had trusted to help her escape had actually been hunting her this entire time.
Damien gently kissed her sweaty forehead, promising that nobody would ever hurt her or their child again.
They arrived at a massive, heavily fortified penthouse overlooking the dark, choppy waters of the Boston harbor.
The medical team rushed Maren into a sterile room, completely barring Damien from entering the surgical theater.
For three agonizing hours, the most feared mafia boss in America paced the hallway like a caged, dangerous animal.
He pulled his encrypted phone from his pocket and ordered his men to systematically destroy the Ashford family's financial empire.
He wanted Chloe and her father to lose every single penny they had ever owned by midnight.
Suddenly, the heavy doors of the medical room swung open with a soft click.
The lead surgeon stepped out, pulling off his bloody latex gloves with a deeply grim expression.
He looked Damien directly in the eyes and took a very deep, shaky breath.
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"We stopped the internal bleeding, but the baby's heart rate is dropping rapidly," the doctor said.
"If we don't operate and deliver this baby right now, you are going to lose them both."
